No time to wait: how many HIV-infected homosexual men are diagnosed late and consequently die? (England and Wales, 1993-2002).

OBJECTIVES: To present national trends of the estimated number and proportion of late HIV diagnoses and short-term mortality following diagnosis among men who have had sex with men (MSM). To determine separately risk factors for late diagnosis and short-term mortality. METHODS: Analysis of national HIV/AIDS case reports of new diagnoses linked to CD4 cell counts from the CD4 Surveillance Scheme. Inverse probability weighting adjusted for individuals with no CD4 cell count at diagnosis. Outcomes were late diagnosis (CD4 cell count <200 x 10(6) cells/l at diagnosis) and short-term mortality (death within 1 year of diagnosis). RESULTS: Of 14,158 new diagnoses, 31% were estimated as late diagnoses. Despite a decreasing trend (P trend